Travel Tales

While I am still in the mood to gripe, let me bring up this other lot of strange people who managed to get us to travel with them.

Couple #1 persisted, pressed, pleaded for a whole year that we must, must, must go with them to their favourite tropical vacation island destination. They would show us all the new hot spots for sight-seeing, dinner and shopping. We finally agreed, so they made all accommodation and travel arrangement.

We found to our dismay that their idea of a vacation was to check all of us into a zero star villa that was in the middle of no-where with no F&B outlet. For recreation, there was this pond that passed for swimming pool amidst an overgrown jungle that passed for the grounds. Yes, we were mosquito bait at sunset and through the night.

This couple wanted to do nothing but sit around the pond all day, venturing out only for lunch and dinner. We of course started to explore the island on our own after day 2, and met them only at dinner time. Unfailingly, it was immediately home to Camp Swamp after dinner every night. Why?

What we don't get until today is why they insisted we came along when their idea of a vacation was to check into a dump and vegetate?

Couple #2 made us travel to attend the guy's birthday. Only their fun friends would be there, they promised. None of the fuddy-duddy relatives were invited. Well, the guests were all geriatrics, friends and relatives. It was one of the longest dinner parties that I could remember and I was so relieved when everyone called it a night at 10.30pm. *Yawn*

We had agreed to go on condition that we got to see their weekend home in the country. Guess what? They tried to wiggle out of that once we got there, citing too many things to attend to. Well, we stood our ground, and they grudgingly drove us up to the country home for an afternoon. That effectively saved the trip and the friendship, such as it were.

Couple #3 wanted to join us on one of our major shopping and eating trips. Well, the woman and I got along just fine. We had a grand time shopping till dinner time everyday. But the guys were stuck together with no common interest. My guy can quite happily entertain himself for hours at a bookstore or supermarket. The other guy needs to be on the move all the time. Needless to say, them boys did not enjoy each other's company.

All these people have actually asked for us to travel again with them. To locales further and more exotic. For longer periods. Go on a cruise even. I ran the scenario through my mind and shuddered.

The man and I must be doing something perversely right. It's just too bad we don't feel the same about these people as traveling companions.